Athletic Bilbao vs Granada CF preview - Caparros issues Athletic warning

Posted Saturday, September 20, 2014 by PA

Granada coach Joaquin Caparros does not believe Saturday's opponents Athletic Bilbao will be any weaker due to their midweek Champions League exertions.

The Basque side played out a 0-0 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday to kick off their first Champions League campaign in 16 years, but former Athletic coach Caparros dismissed the notion his current side will have an advantage over their opponents at San Mames as a result.

He told a press conference: "Athletic's players live every game to the maximum, these are players that recover their energy when they put on the shirt with that badge on it and smell the turf of San Mames. They find strength even where there is none.

"We are certain it's going to be a difficult game against a team that identifies with supporters who get behind them, in a stadium they feel very comfortable in."

But despite his praise for Ernesto Valverde's side, Caparros believes his team should head to Bilbao in the firm belief they can return to Granada with three points.

"We have a great opportunity in a very difficult stadium," said the coach, who spent four years at the helm of Athletic, leading them to the Copa del Rey final in 2009.

"We need to be ourselves, the same team we are every week - we need to keep growing and gaining confidence in what we do. If we don't play well, we're going to have a bad day."

Granada travel to Bilbao still unbeaten having taken five points from their opening three games of the Primera Division season, but do so without forward Youssef El Arabi, who Caparros decided against including in the squad as he is still recovering from a muscle injury.

Athletic, meanwhile, learned on Thursday that 20-year-old forward Ager Aketxe has been ruled out of action until November after fracturing a toe during the Shakhtar game, which was his first-team debut.

Fellow attacker Ibai Gomez is a doubt for the visit of Granada with a strained hamstring, meaning Markel Susaeta is likely to return to the starting line-up after being named on the bench in midweek.

Although Athletic made a positive start to life in the Champions League, they have just three points from two games in the league, a tally they will be hoping to put right on Saturday at San Mames, which on Friday was named as one of the host stadiums for the 2020 European Championships.